smith



(No Model.)

Patented Aug. 9 ,1887.

N. PEYERS, Photo-Lithographer. Washingmflv D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DW'IGHT L. SMITH, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF TO EARL A. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

SUSPENDER-BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,022, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed June 13, 1887. Serial No. 241,195. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, DWIGHT L. SMITH, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement in Suspender-Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1,a front view of the buckle complete; Fig. 2, a rear View of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical central section of the same; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, modifications.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of buckles which are used for suspenders, and in which the buckle is adapted for detachably applying the braces.

The frame is of right-angular form, made from wire. It consists of two sides, A 13, connected by two ends, C D. The side B at the center is bent downward to form a U-shaped loop, E. Longitudinally across the frame is a bar, F, preferably made from sheet metal, and attached at its ends to the respective ends of the frame, the bar F being substantially parallel with the two sides of the frame and about midway between them. Upon the lower edge the bar F is provided with a series of teeth or spurs, a, more or less in number. The bar F preferably stands in theplane of the front of the frame, as seen in Fig. 3.

On the bar, near one or both ends, a stop, 6, is formed, preferably by a downward pro-. jection from the arm, the stop standing in substantially the plane of the rear side of the frame. To the lower bar, 13, the clamp is hung. This clamp consists of a loop'like frame made from Wire, and is composed of two sides, G H, connected by ends I J, H being the lower side. The said lower side, H, is hung to the bar B by a suitable clasp, K, which embraces both the side 13 of the frame and the sideHof the clamp. The upper side, G, of the clamp is parallel with the bar F, and is in a position to nearly reach the spurs a when in a closed position, as seen in Fig. 1.

On the loop is a downwardly-extending 5o hook, L, which hangs within the loop E on the frame. This hook is best made in the same piece of wire which forms the clamp, and it is arranged so as to swing through the loop, E, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. The lower end of the hook is rounded, and is of slightly greater length than the depth of the U-shaped loop E on the frame, and so that the rounded end of the hook will work over the inner side of the lower end of. the loop Elike a cam, and so that when in the fully closed position, as seen in Fig. 3, the hook will have passed forward through the loop F, so as to bring the bearing between the loop and hook at a point back of the central line of the hook, thus tending to interlock the hook and loopin its closed position, but from which the hook may be disengaged by simply pressing it backward, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 3. In this backward position the buckle is in the proper condition for the introduction of the strap. The strap is passed downward and forward through the frame above the bar F, thence returned below the bar F and above the loop, as seen in Fig. 3. Then the clamp is closed upon the front side of the strap and clamps the strap against the points a, or the lower edge of the bar F, as the case may be. When the strap is thus clasped, the Suspender-end is hung upon the hook, and the loop of the suspender-end prevents the possible return of the hook through the loop F, andconsequent disengagement of the strap.

This buckle is not only cheap in construction, but is most effective in use, and is light and tasteful in appearance. I

Vhile I prefer to make the clamp G operate against the lower edge of the bar F, it may bear against the front side of the bar F, as seen in Fig. 4. In this case it will be better to arrange the bar F in a plane with the rear of the frame, as seen in Fig. 4, and construct it with projecting edges, as at d 11, so that the upper bar of the clamp may stand in a position between the two edges, as seen in Fig. 4,

and so that a very secure clamping is pro- I duced.

It will be understood that the stops 1) b will prevent the clamp from being forced entirely through the frame.

The upper edge of the clamp maybe made 100.

in the form of spurs, which will impinge upon the buckle in front of the frame, as seen in Fig. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limitingtheinvention to the construction of the clamp so as to engage the lower edge only of the bar F.

In some cases the braces are provided with ahook to engage an eye on the suspenderbuckle. To adapt this buckle to such brace attachment, the leverportion, which, as before described, terminates in a hook, will be construeted in loop shape, as seen in Fig. 6, to swing into the loop E, as seen in that figure, and so that the hook of the brace, engaging the inner loop of the buckle, will receive both the loop E of the frame and the loop of the buckle, this loop of the lever being a wellknown equivalent for the hook L. 1 wish to be understood by the term hook to include either termination of the loop.

I am aware that buckles have been made consisting of a principal and auxiliary frame, the two parts hinged together, with a similar extension from the two parts to form the hook or brace engagement on one side of the frame, and therefore do not wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, such a construction of buckle.

That I claim is 1. A buckle consisting of a frame composed of two sides and two ends connecting said two sides, the lower side having a downwardlyprojecting loop, E, extending therefrom, and the said frame constructed with alongitudinal bar, F, combined with a clamp hinged to the lower side of the frame, constructed with a hook, L, extending downward within said loop and adapted to work the one through the other, the upper edge of said clamp adapted to engage the strap between it and the said bar F, substantially as described.

2. A buckle the frame of which consists of two sides, A 13, connected by ends 0 D, the said side P constructed with a downwardlyprojecting loop, E, and with a longitudinal bar, F, the said bar constructed with stops 7), combined with a clamp hung to the side B, the said clamp constructed with a hook, L, adapted to swing through the loop E of the frame, substantially as described.

3. A buckle consisting of a frame composed of two sides, A B, connected by ends 0 D, the side B constructed with a downwardly-projecting loop, 3, and with a longitudinal bar,

F, extending from end to end. of said frame, the said bar constructed with spurs upon its edge, combined with a clamp hinged to the side B of the frame, and constructed-with a downwardly-projecting hook, L, adapted to work throu h said 100) E so as to en a e- 

